This is the largest prey yet that I’ve seen a Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) catch and eat in one bite. The heron was hunting around Union Bay Natural Area in Seattle when it suddenly flew off, its breast skimming the water because of the drag from a large fish.
The heron landed out of sight, shrouded by distant marsh grasses. When it finally lurked into a clearing, I took a close look through my lens, and I saw the prey was a catfish, a species I wasn’t sure inhabited the waters around Lake Washington.
As much as I witness predator/prey interaction and have a firm grasp on this reality, I confess I’m never without empathy and emotional pangs for the prey. I understand the plight of both parties, and have seen the heartbreaking effects of starvation on predators as well. It’s a harsh reality to which I’m never fully reconciled.
The catfish in this case, was already dead when I took these shots. The heron then grabbed the fish whole, head first, and swallowed it in a matter of seconds. After the first gulp, the catfish shape protruded from the back of the heron’s neck, and with the second gulp, it virtually disappeared into that power-machine that is a Great Blue Heron digestive tract.
I’ve read accounts of Great Blues swallowing prey like a large bass — bass that clearly exceed the measurements of the heron’s bill and gullet. This catfish exceeded what I thought a heron could ingest whole. I’m interested to know what you’ve seen in terms of herons taking large fish. I usually see them trying for smaller fry.
** Glenn Nevill of Raptor Gallery posted a link in the comments, to a detailed series of shots of a heron also capturing a catfish — at Wood Lake Nature Center in Minneapolis. **
All photos shot with the Olympus OM-D E-M5 and Lumix 100-300mm lens, ISO1250, 1/800, f8.
Wading in Deep
Seconds later …
Here is a sequence I captured back in 2007 at Wood Lake Nature Center in Minneapolis Minnesota. GBH catching killing and eating a catfish. Not as close as your shots here. But it was the best I could do at the time.
https://raptor-gallery.com/06-04-07-b/index.htm
Glenn, what an incredible, detailed series you captured. I’m going to add a link to the above post. It shows so much more of the heron’s fishing process. Thanks for including that.
Earlier I photographed the same GBH catching dragonflies.
https://raptor-gallery.com/06-04-07/index.htm
Glenn, I’ve never seen them catch dragonflies! Great. Have you seen that since with a GBH? The only bird I’ve photographed with dragonfly in beak was a Merlin who was chasing them along Lake Washington in Seattle.
No, I haven’t managed to see GBH’s hunt in quite some time.
Please post the shot of the Merlin.
Hi, Glenn … it’s not a great shot, but this shows the Merlin with a dragonfly or damselfly in her talon.
Click photo for larger image.
Awesome! Looks like a gross meal though.
No, it would take a gross to make a meal…
Wow, that is a HUGE fish to swallow!
Just saw our resident GBH stab a catfish and bring on shore to admire before consuming. I was concerned that a catfish might harm the big bird but it didn’t seem concerned. I live on an 11 acre pond/lake in Ga. and have seen this GBH swallow some huge bass. This catfish looked to be a 3.5 to 4 pounder, certainly thicker than the bird’s neck. No worries. It’s back out there wading in search of another, amazing!